A steamy, gripping standalone romance from Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Chelle Bliss.Before senior year, I was forced to move away, leaving behind the only man I ever loved. He promised he’d love me forever. He vowed nothing would tear us apart. He swore he’d wait for me, but Jack lied.Six years later, when our paths cross again, his broad shoulders, rock-hard chest, and … again, his broad shoulders, rock-hard chest, and rippling muscles almost make me forget his betrayal. His rugged voice, tempting lips, and sinful smile make it harder for me to deny the feelings I still have for him.
Now, Jack wants to make me his again, but our past may be too much for us to overcome.
They say time heals all wounds, but the years haven’t diminished my heartache. The only thing that dulls the pain are Jack’s lips caressing my skin as he whispers, “It’s always been you.”
more
Chelle Bliss and her dirty, filthy hand go hand in hand whenever I think of her works. But MEND… MEND is something utterly different. And so, so stunningly beautiful. What an intensely emotional second love story! It’s perfection – and might even be my favorite by her to date, which I truly wouldn’t have imagined when I started. To think Ms. Bliss wasn’t even sure she would ever finish this story hurts my heart, because it definitely is one of those that needed to be told. Once you read it, you will understand why.
Jack and Evie are soulmates. Pure and simple. They have been loving each other since forever. They are each other’s first and only love. A love so insurmountable, even a separation of six years cannot overcome – even though they both tried… Six years of hurt, heartbreak and pent-up frustration have passed when they meet again. Be taken to Ridge Hollow with them and watch their emotions laid bare and secrets revealed… Will they find their way or crash and burn?
A hero that captured my heart from the start and a heroine that could have been my best friend… Flashbacks that just add to the story and enhance all the heartache… Detailed brilliant writing… All of this stands for everything I love about Chelle Bliss’ works and proves why I love second chance romance so much.
Romances like this one will have me always coming back to the talent that is this author, no matter what kind of love stories she will be writing next. I just know I will love it.
I’ve had this in my audible library for a while and finally decided to take a listen trying to get through a boring work day. I am going to be honest I was not thrilled with the male voice. There was just something that turned me off and I really didn’t like how Rock Engle narrated his parts of the story. Natalie Duke was a lot better but still was just an okay narrator. Combined together it was like they didn’t fit the characters Chelle was trying to portray.
Now for the beautiful story Chelle wrote I couldn’t get enough of it. I listened closely to all the words conveyed in this story about mending the heart and getting a second chance at love. At a sad time in Chelle’s life she poured the words into this story to give the story emotion and heart.
This was a perfect second chance romance that will leave your heart full once the last page is complete.
This story starts with six years of misunderstandings, a regular theme in many romance books. A sweet read, with a “friend” that is not a friend, past and present tribulations, but ends with the expected HEA. The forward is sad and made my heart hurt. Sweet and steamy, a good read.
I love a good second chance romance and this one is perfect. I love the storyline and the dual POV, this is Jack and Evie’s story.
Jack met Evie in the eighth grade and he knew she would be his, he just had to make her see that they were made for each other. Jack was the guy every girl wanted and he could have his pick and he picked Evie. Evie wasn’t sure what he saw in her but she loved him just as much as he loved her. Before senior year rolled around, Evie’s parents told her they were moving and she would have to leave Jack. They both were heartbroken. They both made promises to find each other as soon as they were able. But things happened and lies were told and things got in the way.
Now six years later and Evie is back in town and the old feelings are back and stronger than ever between Jack and Evie. Will she tell him about the time she was gone and the secret she keeps? Will Jack find out why she didn’t answer his letters? Can they get past the hurt and live the life they were meant to live together?
I loved everything about this story. It is full of pain, sadness, hurt, heartbreak and love. When I started this book last night I found myself so into it that within a few hours I was already at 75% and not wanting it to end. But I needed to sleep because work doesn’t wait for anyone. So if you are looking for a quick, feel-good read, then grab this one and enjoy. I highly recommend it, it’s worth the read.
**Copy provided by the author and this is my honest review**
Favorite Quotes:
I loved her from the moment she walked into homeroom on the first day of eighth grade. The fact that she had on a Nirvana T-shirt and a pair of ripped jeans just made me fall even harder.
He’s about as exciting as a piece of toast… The man doesn’t even eat dessert. Who doesn’t eat dessert? It’s unnatural…He’s definitely not a keeper… I can’t be with someone who doesn’t appreciate a great cupcake or even a cookie, for shit’s sake.
Shave your bits, girl. You may get lucky tonight… I like a great hairy leg, but yours is a bit prickly. I don’t think Jack will approve… You’ll need a machete to get through that jungle, doll…
My Review:
Mend was a quick and easy read with an engaging, sweet, and somewhat steamy love story occurring over two time periods. Packaged with endearing characters, an emotive and heart-squeezing yet entertaining narrative of young love, conniving villains, snarky levity, small-town pettiness, and a sweet first and second-chance romance; Chelle Bliss has completely satisfied my wishlist for today. Loves me some Chelle Bliss!
5 star review Mend by Chelle Bliss
What a story; I love second chance romance stories and Mend is an excellent example of the genre. This book was a roller coaster of an emotional read, full of highs and lows.
Jack and Evie were in love but circumstances tore them apart, only to come back together 6 years later.
I was engrossed from chapter one and frankly couldn’t put it down, saying to myself, just one more chapter, then another until I finally fell asleep around 3am having finished the book
Both Jack and Evie need to confront the past before they can move on and although both still love one another, can they get over the hurt and emotional pain it caused and move forward together?
I know Ms. Bliss has had this book on hold for close to a year, but I am so glad she decided to re-visit the story and release it. This is a beautifully written love story. I fell in love with Jack and Evie and oh how I wanted them to get their well deserved happily ever after.
Ms. Bliss writes with a depth of character that at times comes right out of no-where and knocks your socks off; the layers of emotions she peels back can at times be heart wrenching, shocking and surprising. Mend is a well written, emotional and soul reaching book and I congratulate her; I have to say that this may well be her best book to date and I truly thought nothing would beat Enshrine but in my opinion Mend comes close.
Wow, one of the best second chance romances I have read and from the first line you could tell this book was written from the heart, Chelle Bliss gave this book her all, her heart and her soul and it showed, what we got was a beautifully written love story.
Jack and Evie have loved each other since they were children, they were destined to be soulmates but fate took them on different paths what will happen when fate brings them back together 6 years down the line. First they must tackle their past before they can move on with their future……
This book is very different to previous books from Chelle Bliss and it was written when she was going through a very difficult time in her life, she tells you this in her foreword and you can tell as I said before she poured her heartbreak as well as her happy memories into this amazing story. This book will have you crying but it will also have you cracking a smile, it has strong characters who you will fall in love with and it will captivate you from the first page. It’s a must read…..
For me this book showed what a brilliant author Chelle Bliss is, this is another side to her writing talents. Can’t wait for her next book and to see what journey she is going to take us on next.
“A man without love, even with all the money in the world, is a man with nothing.”
Mend is told in a dual POV with flashbacks to help fill in previous relationships. This is a story about family of origin and family of choice. About mistakes and misunderstandings and first love being as all-encompassing and consuming as it’s meant to be. It’s a story about forgiveness of self and others and most of all it’s a story of L.O.V.E.
There are such interesting characters in this story and I hope this is the beginning of a series. There are lovers and best friends and new romances and rekindling of old romances. I chuckled and cried and swooned and a whole bunch of other things.
I absolutely recommend this book. It’s a quick read that held my attention from the forward to the 2 epilogues. A 5 star read for sure!!!!
5 Getting Her Everything Back Stars!!
There are some authors that no matter what they write I’ll buy it just because they’ve written the book. Chelle Bliss is one of these authors. Over the years she’s given me endless hours of reading joy by delivering some of the hottest, sexiest and most alpha men you can imagine. Well in Mend, while we have the alpha male and a beautiful woman, we get so much more than I was ever expecting.
I knew I was in trouble with this book when I read the Foreward, it set the tone for my emotions going into one of the best second chance books I’ve read EVER!!!
This is the story of Jack and Evie who have loved each other since they were in eighth grade. Ms. Bliss does a phenomenal job via flashbacks letting us see how their love grew over the years and just what it means to find the love of your life. Unfortunately, not everyone in their lives are on the same page and our lovers are ripped apart for six years until they both end up back in Hollow Ridge and this time, nothing will stand in their way….
“Six years may seem like an eternity, but when there’s true love, the kidn that has been permanently etched on your soul… it’s no time at all.”
Even if they can find a way back to each other, there’s some definite obstacles in their way and many secrets and sorrows are revealed. I literally at times was crying and in the next scene pumping my fist because it was about time some people got what was coming to them.
I especially loved the secondary characters in this book, especially Evan, is the very best friend a girl could ask for and Evie loves him with no limits. These two together are alternately funny and emotional because he knows everything. He’s also her biggest supporter in getting the life she’s always dreamed of.
What it all comes down to is that Ms. Bliss has written a book that will tug at ALL your heartstrings while equally making you believe in a love that’s meant to be no matter the obstacles.
Read: 2/13/2020
Mend was a stand-alone by Chelle Bliss. I’m a sucker for second chances and this was no exception.
Jack and Evie were childhood sweethearts. Evie moved away with her family with promises from both that they’d be together again as soon as they graduated. Fast forward six years and that obviously didn’t happen.
Bliss took us through a fast and fun read detailing the past and present simultaneously. I loved both Evie and Jack as well as some great supporting characters.
In the end, it was quick, humorous and entertaining. Although a stand-alone, there were several awesome characters that need their own story so hopefully we’ll see more from Ridge Hollow soon!
This was a fantastic book about second chances, young love, and forces that try to break-up two lovers who have an unbreakable bond. This book was full of emotion, angst, and it made me sad, angry, and then left me with a smile. This is a must read by Chelle Bliss and I will be going back again to reread it.
I just cannot get enough of Chelle Bliss’ books! I am loving everything that I am reading and cannot put them down!
Loved this book, loved the writing and the characters!
This was second chance romance for Evie and Jack. They were separated during school and spent 6 years apart, because of her dad (he wrote a letter from Evie to Jack, saying that she no longer wanted anything to do with him), and when they reconnected they both found out that they both still wanted to be together.
Within that 6 years, Evie, had conceived a child and lost a child to SIDS and lost her terrible excuse of a father and Jack.
In the end, Evie and Jack made it happen! They were always in love, stayed in love, got in an accident, found out they were pregnant and got engaged and were going to get married!
Anyone who reads Chelle Bliss knows she does hot and sexy like no one! But this book is a little different for her. This is a second chance romance and it’s as sweet as can be!!! But don’t get me wrong, it’s still got plenty of heat.
Things go terribly wrong between Jack and Evie when they are still so very young. Each blames it on the other. But there was more at play than just Evie moving thousands of miles away. Can they make it past the hurt and anger to find the perfect love they shared so many years ago?
There were some really fantastic supporting characters in this book. As well as a few I wanted to bury out in the back forty! I would really love to read Jason and Cameron’s stories!!!
Mend is perfectly written. This book will give you all the feels. Love Evie and Jack and I can’t gush enough about Evan. Having the flashbacks placed so you can get into the characters head couldn’t have been any better. This is a definite read!
Great book. I love Jack and Evie. Evan is hilarious. Jess and Renee are just rude, nasty little people. I hate everything Evie went through on her own due to her parents and supposed friends.
I do love a Bank Holiday! What has that got to do with this book?! Well it means I have uninterrupted reading time and I got to sit and read this book today! I one clicked it on release day and it has sat on my kindle since.
I do love Chelle Bliss and she delivers ever time.
This is a second chance story and it is just beautiful, heartbreakingly beautiful. Misunderstandings and mistruths have kept Jack and Evie apart for six years, can they forgive and forget. Will they be able to get past the betrayals?
My heart wept for this couple and I could not put this book down. I had to find out how this would end.
Hands down amazing!!! If you love second chance romances then I highly recommend this beautiful, heartwarming, captivating, heart-stirring emotional read that will lure you in and not let you go until the very end. Jack and Evie’s story will have you on the edge of your seat devouring their past mistakes, current lives and their imminent future. Be prepared for one phenomenal read you definitely wont be able to put down!
I’ve been struggling with ‘straight forward’ contemporary romances of late and thought perhaps it was me ‘going off’ the genre. Well Ms Bliss has just set me straight because Mend held my attention from the start and didn’t let me go until I reach the end of the book.
It felt a little shorter than some of her other books, though it was still a 2.5 hour read so plenty of character development and story too boot. I love a second-chance romance and Mend didn’t let me down. There were lies (not by the couple), misunderstandings and secrets to be revealed. Whilst this is very typical of a second chance story, their actions and reactions were so very NOT cliched or predictable. That, for me, made this book stand taller than so many others. Yes there was angst, but there wasn’t unnecessary angst caused by a failure to talk to each other.
Evie and Jack are such pleasant, caring and likeable characters that you fall in love with them almost straight away. The whole story had a really gentle, sweet, warm hug feel to it, though you also felt the spark and heat between Jack and Evie. Whilst the steamy scenes were limited, what there was suited to both the plot and the feel of the book – any more would have cheapened this wonderful love story. I really liked how the ‘flashbacks’ were scattered as short scenes throughout the book. It worked as a way to slowly give us information without taking you out of the here and now.
It’s very different from the hot ‘n’ raunchy Gallo and Alfa PI books, but then the Takeover Duet have already shown she isn’t limited to one style of writing. It is as well written and edited as you would expect from this author. It has a well thought through plot with plenty of supporting characters who add depth, interest and strength to the book. I’m sure I’m not the only one interested in seeing more of these characters too.
From the foreward that had me in tears to the last sentence, I loved every single page of this book. Mend is different than anything I’ve read by the author but it still sucked me right in like all her others. There’s something that feels different now that I’ve finished reading Mend, a kind of peaceful feeling I can’t explain, I think the hero and heroine are two of my absolute favorites.
This story, the characters, their unending love for each other, it all sounds like a thousand other books but it’s nothing like them, this one is just more
This story blew me away, I loved every word that was written even the back and forth from past to present and normally those stories get me confused and what not, nope not this one I was able to keep up and really enjoy the story, I would have flown right through it but I got sick halfway into the story. once I was better however this story didn’t know what hit it lol. I was amazed at the way Chelle had every word down and how she made this story just come to life like no other. This was a page turner of a story one that had the pages smoking if it was actual pages and not my nook. Steamy, sexy, and alpha males everywhere, this story had it all over when you would least expect something hott or some alpha to come out BAM it hit you and man was it so worth it times a million over and over again. Along with the sexy comes the sad and man was I sad for a part of the story in fact towards the middle of the story I was really feeling for the main characters. This story came to life and felt real right before your eyes. Nothing was ever the same, each page brought something fun and new to it. Well worth 5 star and more. I would love to read this over and over again. MUST READ, beware by the end you will crave more.
***I received this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts, these are my thoughts and no one else told me what to say or write***